Transhiatal Closure of Right-Sided Esophageal Rupture After a Left Pneumonectomy

Right-sided spontaneous esophageal rupture developed 2 days after left pneumonectomy and vomiting. To avoid contamination of the pneumonectomized left thoracic cavity as well as a contralateral thoracotomy, we used a transhiatal approach for primary repair of the rupture, combined with right-sided pleural and mediastinal drainage, gastrostomy, and feeding jejunostomy. The 7-day barium meal control showed healing of the rupture. (Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:246–7)